Is Raúl Castro simply a clone of his elder brother Fidel? Answering that question is a step toward ending what may be the most prolonged and divisive dispute in the history of modern U.S. foreign policy.
During the Cold War, trying to isolate Cuba served American security interests since Cuba was an ally of the Soviet bloc. But since the fall of the Soviet Union, U.S. policy toward Cuba has focused on “nation building” and mild agitation to eliminate the Castros. Analysts who reject these as adequate grounds for foreign policy can also critique the current policy on its own terms. In other words, has it been successful in nation building? And more importantly now, have Raúl’s reforms since taking the top office in 2006 really begun to change conditions in the country?
Distinguished analysts differ on the merits of Raúl’s reforms. Economist Carmelo Mesa-Lago calls them “the most extensive and profound” changes on the island in decades, though still inadequate, while Carlos Alberto Montaner calls them “token gestures.” In May, I made a two-week visit to Cuba, my sixth since 1983 as a journalist and lecturer, to see what I could learn on the ground. I found the prospects for meaningful reforms were encouraging but preliminary.
Read Full Article »